Tips for a better night's sleep

If you find it hard to get to sleep at night, you are not alone. In fact, About 70 million people in the United States suffer from sleep disorders. It is a difficult thing, because although you might feel tired, you get into bed and suddenly feel wide awake. You could spend the rest of the night tossing and turning and no matter what you do, unable to get that shut eye you so desperately crave. It could be that your mind is consumed with the day you have just had, particularly if you are in a career such as a criminal defense attorney and have a case to prepare for, or that you are worried about your family. Or your mind just doesn't shut down, which happened to me twice this week. No matter the reason, it is not fun. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do which can help you to have a better night's sleep. Here are just a few things that you can try.

1) Avoid eating or drinking for two hours before you go to bed

While you might be peckish in the evening, try to avoid eating or drinking anything other than water in the run up to your bedtime. This is because your body will be trying to digest your food and can keep you awake. Also, if you have food with sugar in it then it can make you feel jittery and experience a sugar buzz that can keep you awake.

2) Don’t look at a screen before sleeping

By looking at your screen and scrolling through instagram or other apps right before you go to sleep, you are making your mind active and your eyes awake. Instead, it is a good idea to do something that will calm your mind, such as reading a book. This is much calmer on your eyes and soothing to help you sleep.

 

3) Invest in high quality bedding

If your bed is a comfortable haven that you can’t wait to get into each night, you are much more likely to get a good night's sleep. You spend half of your time in your bed after all, so you want it to be something that is really comfortable. Invest in a soft, high quality mattress, pillows and bedding that is just right for you.

4) Do some journaling 

It is a good idea to clear your mind before you go to sleep so you don’t lay awake worrying all evening. You could do some journaling where you write down all your thoughts of the day and what is essentially a “mind dump” physically writing down anything that is stressing you out. This act of just sharing something from your mind can be a good way of clearing it before you sleep.

These are just a few simple ways that you can help yourself to get a better night's sleep. Whether you decide to implement all of them to your routine or just a couple, you are sure to experience the benefits in no time at all. What are some ways that you find to help you sleep at night? Let me know in the comments.